Online payments

Offering consumers more extensive ways to shop and pay whenever, wherever and however has become a competitive advantage for retailers. So what can the accounts receivable management (ARM) Industry learn from the retailers clamoring to provide their customers with a perfect "omnichannel" experience?

While Google may be the behemoth in web search, its payments initiatives leave a lot to be desired.

ProPay, a unit of the Columbus, Ga.-based TSYS, has introduced a suite of services aimed at simplifying the work of payment facilitators with aggregation and payment processing services.

Keith Rabois, the former chief operating officer of Square who resigned that role in 2013, will leave Xoom's board of directors on May 28.

Google's planned integration of bill pay and presentment with its immensely popular Gmail service could quickly scoop away one of the stickiest offerings of online banking sites.

It's a sure thing that the founders of the Pony Express in 1860 didn't have a futuristic vision in mind of what a digital Pony Express might look like — but Google Inc. reportedly has chosen that branding for its next payment service.

There is a growing opportunity for health care providers to benefit from adding a self-service option, particularly as the portion of revenue they get directly from patients increases.

EBay Inc., which is spinning off its PayPal division later this year, plans to pay each of the two new companies' chief executive officers $14 million in total compensation after the split.

In keeping with the growing market for global e-commerce payments, Stripe has developed a new version of its Connect service tailored for international startups.

EBay Inc. appointed two independent directors in advance of its planned spinoff of online-payment platform PayPal this year.

In the Chinese payment processing space, which is dominated by government-controlled entities such as UnionPay, the dynamic of pursuing new customers is markedly different from in the U.S. This point was a key factor when investment firm TA Associates chose to invest in YeePay, a company with limited ambitions.

Flint Mobile is joining the many technology companies that are evolving from their roots as payment providers to become enablers of a broad range of services.

For the most part, big banks and trade groups have run the conversation on deploying a faster payment system in the U.S. But Nacha's recently proposed 8.2-cent fee for same-day Automated Clearing House payments has merchants taking notice.

The coffee chain announced plans on March 18 to begin testing delivery in New York and Seattle, with the iconic 102-story office tower serving as its Big Apple proving ground. In New York, customers will order through a Starbucks website and eventually transition to its mobile app.

The megabank-led clearXchange digital payment network, which now counts U.S. Bank as a participant, plans to use its considerable reach in the coming year to diversify its capabilities while also pushing for collaboration among other providers.

Purchase, N.Y.-based MasterCard is working with Sao Paulo, Brazil-based Itau Unibanco in establishing and operating an electronic payments network in the South American country.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s finance arm, which owns Alipay, plans to use a partnership structure to allow top management to maintain control of the company's board after an initial public offering, according to people familiar with the matter.

As payment providers shift more of their operations online, they may still find a need for spoken communication with their clients — even when those clients also sell exclusively online.

Israeli payments technology provider Zooz has recently moved into the financial capitals of the world, opening offices in both New York City and London.

Intuit Inc. has dipped its toe in the payments pond often, and now the business software provider wants to make a bigger splash by enticing more merchants to use QuickBooks Online.